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The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
When visiting Pompeii, Oplontis, Boscoreale or Stabiae, it is worth equipping yourself with appropriate materials in advance. On the Pompeii Archaeological Park website (http://pompeiisites.org ) we will find maps and helpful materials that we can print out before the visit, and which will be invaluable help during sightseeing. It is worth mentioning that the materials are regularly updated.
Marshal Józef Piłsudski about his historical interests: “The books describing the existence of the classical nations – the Greeks and Romans made the greatest impression on me. Probably because they were filled with details of the struggles for the Homeland and descriptions of heroic deeds. Besides, I was in love with Napoleon and everything that happened. I was concerned about this hero, it touched me with emotion and ignited my imagination”1.
In 1981, Italian amateur palaeontologist Giovanni Todesco discovered the remains of a new species of dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period. Initially, he decided that the fossil of a small theropod he found must have been the remains of some bird. After watching the film adaptation of Jurassic park in 1993, he came to the conclusion that it might be the remains of a dinosaur.
Within the suburbs of Wrocław, in the village of Magnice, archaeological excavations preceding the construction of a logistics center revealed the remains of a large settlement of the Przeworsk culture from the 60’s of the 2nd century CE. The dendrochronological examination of the wooden elements of the well casing elements discovered there set the construction date as the first years of the reign of Marcus Aurelius (ca. 162-164 CE).
The ancients were keenly interested in the past. The stories of the mythical Trojan War and the return of the heroes from Troy to their homes throughout the epoch were a source of entertainment for both aristocrats and ordinary bread eaters, and inspiration for sculptors and poets.
They say you need three things to fight a war: money, money, and more money. Regardless of whether or not we accept this sentence as true, money undoubtedly helps in war. Of course, it was no different in ancient times. In ancient Rome, troops were paid primarily with silver denarii, sometimes, in exceptional circumstances, and also with gold coins, i.e. aureus.
The geographical knowledge of the ancient Greeks was truly impressive. Already in antiquity, prominent Greek minds held the theory of the spherical Earth as true. Moreover, numerous expeditions of discovery and information were collected, which led to the development of geography as a science.
Animation showing the mummification process on the example of the Fayum mummy from the 1st century CE. The Egyptians used mummification to preserve the body after death.
